Curbing Population Growth

Oscar Harkavy offers a unique insider's view of the fascinating world of population politics. Chapters trace the growth of the movement as well as the various foundations, governments, and intergovernmental organizations which were an integral part of it from its beginning in the 1950s, through its growth during the 60s and 70s, to the present. Topics include the role of social science in understanding the causes and effects of population growth; reproductive research and contraceptive development; and the politics of family planning, sex education, and abortion in the United States.

Oscar Harkavy offers a unique insider's view of the fascinating world of population politics. Chapters trace the growth of the movement as well as the various foundations, governments, and intergovernmental organizations which were an integral part of it from its beginning in the 1950s, through its growth during the 60s and 70s, to the present. Topics include the role of social science in understanding the causes and effects of population growth; reproductive research and contraceptive development; and the politics of family planning, sex education, and abortion in the United States.

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Now retired after 35 years with the Ford Foundation's population control program, Harkavy recounts the movement's history from its halting beginnings in the 1950s, through the exuberance of the mid 1960s and early 1970s, and the loss of confidence during the 1980s. He characterizes the movement today as split between those who want to focus on the welfare of mothers and children and fear that population programs coerce poor women, and those who fear that population control will vanish among the myriad of other problems facing the developing world. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)